Joel Alvarez will no longer be competing at UFC 315 as planned.
Known as “El Fenomeno,” Alvarez announced on Sunday via his Instagram account that a hand injury has forced him to withdraw from his lightweight contest against Benoit Saint Denis. This fight was scheduled for the upcoming pay-per-view event this Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Initial reports of Alvarez`s inability to compete came from MagicM.
According to Alvarez, the hand injury is expected to keep him from training for a period of three weeks. He did not indicate a specific timeframe for when he might return to active competition.
The consequences of Alvarez`s withdrawal for both fighters and the event remain uncertain. It has not yet been confirmed whether his fight with Saint Denis will be rescheduled for a future date, if a new opponent will be sought for Saint Denis for the UFC 315 card, or if both fighters will be given new matchups at a later time.
Alvarez (22-3) was heading into this fight on a positive trajectory, having won his last three bouts and seven of his past eight outings. A striking characteristic of his record is that all 22 of his professional victories have come via finish, either by knockout or submission.
Benoit Saint Denis (13-3-1, 1 NC) shares a similar propensity for finishing fights, boasting 13 finishes in his career. However, the French fighter is currently facing a two-fight losing streak, with recent defeats coming against Renato Moicano and Dustin Poirier.
UFC 315 features a double dose of title fights at the top of the card. The main event sees Belal Muhammad defending his welterweight championship against Jack Della Maddalena, while the co-main event features Valentina Shevchenko putting her flyweight title on the line against Manon Fiorot.
